Page 57 of Gunner

I shook my head. “As soon as we arrived, Jess and Claudia rushed her into surgery. No one’s been out to talk yet.”

“Well, I know my girl,” Mike said, taking a deep breath. “I may spoil her rotten, but my daughter is a fighter. She will be just fine. I know it.”

“She wouldn’t have to fight if I’d just broke it off with Holly.”

“No,” Mike growled. “This wouldn’t have happened if you had kept your promise.”

“I love her, Mike.”

“We know,” Beth whispered, taking a seat next to me. “We’ve always known, Cord, and Sarah feels the same. We just wanted our daughter to experience life first. That’s all, but it looks as if fate has other plans. Look, Cord, I know I’ve given you a ration of shit from time to time regarding your choice of women. I just wanted you to think about what you were doing. I hoped that by separating the two of you, that the both of you would grow up a bit before the inevitable happened.”

“Fat chance of that happening, Beth,” King snickered.

“Well, I can hope, can’t I? I mean, he’s going to be my son-in-law. No mother wants a man whore for a son-in-law.”

“He has until hunting season to do right by my baby girl. Until then, I’m reserving my judgement.” Mike stood firm, arms crossed across his chest, as he glared daggers at me.

I got it.

He wasn’t going to let up until I put a ring on her finger.

“Gunner, Beth, Mike?”

Jumping to my feet, I rushed over to Claudia.

“How is she? Is she okay? Can I see her? How’s the baby? Did she lose a lot of blood? Is she conscious? You didn’t have to remove anything, did you? Oh God, you did. If she needs my kidney, she can have it. I have a spare. Hell, take whatever you need.”

“Is he always like this?” Beth asked.

“He’s worse,” King replied. “Gunner. Shut the hell up and let Claudia speak.”

“But she isn’t saying anything!”

“Because you won’t let her,” Mike growled.

“Go ahead Claudia. How is Sarah?” Beth asked.

“It was a small stab wound. No major damage was done. Sarah will be just fine.”

“What about the baby?” I asked.

Claudia shook her head but smiled. “It’s still early, but I did a vaginal ultrasound and though I want to see her in two weeks to confirm the pregnancy because she’s just been in a major trauma, so anything can happen until then, but congratulations Gunner. You are going to be a dad.”

“I am?”

Before anyone could congratulate me, I found myself looking into furious eyes as Mike gripped my shirt tightly. “Hunting season starts in two months, asshole. Get your shit together.”

I vehemently nodded, gulping as an ear-piercing screech rattled the waiting room. “You left me in jail!”

The hospital and Claudia kept Sarah for two days before they decided to release her and while her parents did visit once to see for themselves that she was okay, I thought it odd that they hadn’t been back.

“Did they say they were coming?”

I shrugged. “Not that I can recall.”

I could tell Sarah was getting worried. I got it. She’d just had surgery and wanted her mom. As it was, we were waiting for the hospital administrator and the nurse to bring the paperwork for her release. Neither one of us wanted to be here anymore. I had things I had to do, and Sarah needed to rest.

“What’s keeping them?”